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DECEMBER 21. 1937
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
i nnCit
Father Cairns Describes Christmas in China
m - i
Century Mark Reached by Historic Parish
of Saint Anne, Sumter, S. C., This Year
Priest From U. S. Is Pastor
of Island Mission on Which
St. Francis Xavier Labored
Sancian Island Missionary
Was Visitor in Southeast
in Recent Years
FIRST CHURCH THERE
DEDICATED IN 1838
BY BISHOP ENGLAND
Father Clancy Now Pastor.
Present Church Was De
dicated May 11, 1911
(Special to The Bulletin)
SUMTER, S. C.—St. Anne's Church
completes a century of parish life
this year an event which is being
appropriately marked this week by
the historic congregation, the first
edifice of which was dedicated in
1838 by the great Bishop England.
From that day to the present time,
under the direction of its present
pastor, Father John P. Clancy, the
history of the parish is one of in
tense interest.
During the summer of 1849 the old
Methodist Church, on what is now
West Liberty Street was bought by
the pastor and dedicated under the
patronage of Saint Laurence, Martyr,
by Bishop Reynolds. In 1875 the old
church building was torn down and
a “handsome and substantial struc
ture" was built to replace it. This
church building served the Catholic
congregation of Sumter until 1906,
when it was torn down because of
its condition From that year until
May, 1911, the parishioners used the
chapel of Saint Joseph's Academy for
their parish church.
On May 21, 1911, the new and pres
ent church building was dedicated
under the patronage of Saint Anne.
The new church was made possible
by the generous legacies of Alice W.
Poole and Elia B. Tuomey. It
was built under the able direction of
the Right Reverend Monsignor
Charles D. Wood.
The supplement of Saint Anthony’s
Guild, a monthly publication of Msgr.
Wood's while he was pastor of Flor
ence, gave a very beautiful and com
plete description of the new Saint
Anne’s Church. Excerpts read:
“The ground plan of the building
is that of a Latin Cross. The church
building, interior and exterior, is
English Gothic m every particular of
architectural design. Church archi
tecture. as is well known, is symboli
cal of divine worship in each feature
—the outline plans contemplate that
the building should represent a per
fect cross—symbol of the Cross of
Christ.
“On entering the church through
the main portal, one passes seven
steps, which represent the seven gifts
of the Holy Ghost—Wisdom, Under
standing. Counsel, Knowledge. Forti
tude, Piety and Fear of the Lord.
“The two towers are emblems of
the two natures, divine and human
of Jesus Christ—He was God and
Man.
“The large triple window of the
front gable depicts the mystery of
the Holy Trinity—Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
“At the left of the door, in the in
terior. stands the baptismal font, re
minding you of the first sacrament
the faithful receive on their recep
tion into the Church. While on the
opposite side is placed the Confes
sional, another important sacrament
of the Catholic Church. The windows
on each side o f the nave are emblems
of the seven sacraments.”
The chief feature of the interior of
the church is the beautiful altar of
Italian marble. The side shrines are
made to conform to the main altar
and are surmounted by statutes of
the Blessed Virgin and of St. Jo
seph. On the main altar of this
sacred edifice is offered each morn
ing. for the glory of God and the sal
vation of souls, the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass, the ancient Christian
Sacrifice, the offering of Jesus Christ
Himself, foretold by the prophet
Malachias. and institutedvby our Lord
at the Last Supper.
BY FEV. ROBERT J. CAIRNS
It is because St. Francis Xavier lived
on Sancian in the year 1552, that a
Maryknoll missioner is appointed to
live on this island 15 miles off China's
mainland, difficult of access and seem
ingly a stronghold of the Devil of
which Xavier himself spoke.
Physically, the Mission Church-
House-School is the most pretentious
building on the island, a large white
washed building whose bellry tower,
surmounted by a cross, extends 60 feet
into the sky and thus by comparison
with the low village dwellings is a
landmark which can be seen many
miles at sea. We are situated at the
apex of a horse-shoe bay whose smooth
w’hite beach extends for a half-mile on
either side of us.
SUMTER, S. C. FIRMS
Unique among the beautiful stain
ed glass windows is one dedicated:
•TO THE CONFEDERATE DEAD”.
This is in the corner of the east
transept, and “displays the battle
flags of the Southern Lost Cause.
This memorial is a beautiful design
that lias no duplicate in the South. It
is inscribed as follows: “Sacred to
the memory of our Soldiers who fell
in the War of 1861-'4>5”
“Erected by the Guild of Saint
Anthony. Florence, S. C.”
No history nor outline of history of
St. Anne's Parish would be com
plete without something of Saint Jo
seph’s Academy being mentioned. In
1864 the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy
came to Sumter to establish their
convent. The parish and convent
were given a decided impetus during
the War Betw'een the States, when
large numbers of people came in
land from the coast, tc avoid the
devastation of -the- war. St. Joseph’s
Academy was the first educational
institution in the City of Sumter. In
1867 a new building was erected for
the convent and academy and the
new chapel was dedicated Novem
ber 22. 1896.
On the Northern end of the beach
about a mile around a circuitous path
is the second largest building on the
island, the Shrine Church of St. Fran
cis Xavier. It is situated on the side
of the hill on which, several hundred
feet above the Church, is a bronze
statue of Xavier, cross in hand, look
ing toward the China mainland which
was the object of his coming to San
cian. This^statue, covered with gold-
leaf, glitters in the sun to attract any
strangers who happen to pass our is
land.
It is Christmas Eve, dark, stars bright
and glittering, seemingly closer to us
than ever they were in America, one
"Stella Maris” brighter than its fel
lows, seems poised above the Shrine
of Xavier, the outline of which can
barely be discerned. The star, like the
one which led the Three Wise Men on
their journey to Bethlehem, beckons
us across the shimmering waters:
"Come, let us adore Him.”
-O
Sancian Island, where Father
Cairns, the author of the ac
companying story, is laboring,
has hern taken over by the Jap-
anes in the current hostilities,
werd received by tnc Rev. John
J. Ceij-ifline. M. M., of the
Maryknoll Fathers at Mary
knoll, N. Y., has been advised.
Father Cairns, a native of Scot
land, reared in Worcester,
Mass., and educated at Holy
Cross College and St. Mary’s
Seminary, is well known in the
Southeast, where he and the
Rev. John Toomey, M. M.. visit
ed a few years ago, speaking in
many parishes. They also at
tended the Lakeland convention
cf the St. Augustine Diocesan
Council of the National Council
of Catholic Women.
O-
-O
cd for the salvation of us men. Xavier,
the great hero of God, died on this
island on December 3, 1552 and was
buried in this very earth as attested
by this stone slab erected in 1G39 and
never disturbed, since.
We are few in numbers, we San-
cianites, but we are a privileged few.
We are in Xavier's shadow, we walk
behind him, we are his. "Behold, this
is the place where they laid him.” Be
hold the.spot where took place thq first
miracle after his death, when slacked-
lime had no efficiency because its pow
er was withheld by God Who did not
want the body of his great Apostle
corruped so quickly. Here, in Feb
ruary. 1553, over two months after his
burial when the coffin was opened no
lime was found and instead of the ex
pected mere skeleton of bones, the
Portuguese sailors found the body as
fresh as though Francis has just died.
(Continued on Page 14)
Eleven o'clock: to the strains of
mandolin accompaniment, carolling
young men march around the mission
grounds where several families of
catechists and servants are peacefully
slumbering in their respective houses.
"Heiligen Nacht. " "Venite adoremus"
resound within the compound, wake
the few. then the Chiistmas carollers
move to the adjoining Chinese villages
on their way to Xavier's Shrine.
The mandolinist leads the way for
the Chinese voices, followed by the
schoolboys, a few sturdy men and
some valiant women. But again there
is a change in the processional march,
the rising tide has covered the path
with water two feet high so that we
cannot cross except by wading. This
is easy for most ot the parishioners
have no shoes anyway. But the priest-
mandolinist, four altar boys, shod and
clothed in long gowns for this special
occasion, the wee Chinese songbirds,
shall go by boat: and thus necessity
adds a romantic touch to the scene of
getting to the Shrine for Midnigiit
Mass.
Established 1923
Sumter Electric
Rewinding Co.
“Honestly Rebuilt
Products”
W. E. BRUNSON, Jr., Mgr.
SUMTER, S. C.
Gallagher &
Foxworth
“Where Good Clothes
Cost Less”
SUMTER, S. C.
Steam Heat Garages
VILLA MARIA
SUMTER, S. C.
Comfortable Rooms foe
Overnight Guests
U. S. Highway No. IS
330 North Mam
Phones 400—66
MITCHELL'S
DRUG STORE
Drugs—Sodas—
Candies—Cigars
Most Popular Place in
Town
R. T.
TIRE CO., INC.
110-112 N. Main St.
SUMTER, S. C.
Lawson's
Pharmacy
Phone 568
38 North Main Street
SUMTER, S. C.
FATHER GLANGY NOW
PASTOR AT SUMTER
m
He Formerly Served
Charleston and Taught at
Bishop England High
The Rev. John P. Clancy, pastor
of St. Anne's Church, Sumter, is a
native of Brooklyn, N. Y.. was
educated at St Francis Xavier Col
lege. New York, Belmont Abbey
Seminary, North Carolina, and St.
Mary's Seminary, Baltimore. Ordain
ed for the Diocese of Charleston,
his priestly life until his appointment
to Sumter was in Charleston, where
in addition to his parish work, he
was a member of the faculty of
Bishop England High School. After
his ordination he did graduate work
at Johns Hopkins University. Balti
more. His splendid work in Charles
ton led to his appointment to Sum
ter, where in a short time, he has
made himself beloved by the people
of the city, Catholic and non-Catholic.
He served as administrator before be
coming pastor, succeeding Father
William G. Mulvihill.
Father Timothy J. Sullivan was the
first resident pastor; Father A. J.
Neal served in that capacity for 47
years, succeeded by Father Charles
Dubois Wood, now Prothondtary
Apostolic, Father L. E. Forde. Father
N. A. Murphy Father D. F. Lanigan,
Father J. F. Mahoney and Father J.
D. Quinn, whose untimely death two
years ago is still fresh in the mem
ory of the city. Father Mulvihill
served the parish until ill health
made it necessary for Father Clancy
to be appointed to relieve him.
SUMTER, S. C.
We put into service an "Old Town
Canoe" of all things on this remote
island. Father Sandy’s brother sent the
light canoe from Worcester, Mass., and
it was first launched for and used
Christmas Midnight Mass.
Inside the Shrine-Church six can
dles are burning on the altar bringing
into relief the Tomb of St. Francis
Xavier in the cei.*.er of the Church.
Nearby, the tastefully decorated Crib
recalls the .first Bethlehem; providen
tially the small figures had just ar
rived from London, the gift of a pool
Irish soldier and his "Lennon Lads and
Lassies ’. They had been placed in a
shipping box covered with pine
branches, cotton flakes for snow
(which the Chinese on Sancian have
never seen) and crumpled dark paper
to resemble rocks.
After all have knelt at the Crib, two
gasoline lanterns are brought into the
Church and make the small edifice
bright and cheery. Confessions are
heard; then, the four altar boys jn
readiness, we five walk up the aisle,
past the Tomb of St. Francis Xavier,
and begin High Mass, for which the
organless choir, two men catechists,
furnishes the music.
The Gospel story has a deeper sig
nificance on a dark hill so much in
keeping with the watches of Bethle
hem's first Christmas night when the
angels appeared to the shepherds on
the lonely hillsides and told them of
the birth of Jesus.
To the few people gathered around
me at Midr.ight Mass for benefactors
of Maryknoll and Sancian, this mo
ment of preaching is a thrilling orte.
Here at my hand is the place where
Xavier was first buried. Here in this
Tomb, now empty, lay the body of him
who had crossed continents and oceans,
pioneered into unknown lands and
seas, learned new languages and cus
toms, fearlessly went with the Cross
of Christ before him, merely to tell of
Jesus Christ Who is about to be born
on the altar, and about to be sacrific-
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